PAKISTAN: KARACHI: TIGHTENED SECURITY FOR CLINTON'S VISIT

(25 Mar 2000) English/Nat

Voiced by Vera Frankl

There's been tight security for President Clinton's visit to Pakistan.

One of Pakistan's largest Islamic parties defied a ban by police on outdoor demonstrations for the second day running to protest at Mr. Clinton's presence.

And two people were killed in a bomb blast in Karachi - though it's not known whether it was connected with the President's visit.

0000 SOUNDBITE:"CLINTON GO BACK...

0003 Chanting anti-American slogans, the demonstrators took to the streets of the country's largest city, Karachi, to protest against President Clinton's brief visit to Pakistan.

0012 The authorities moved in quickly to break up the demonstration by force.

0019 Several activists were arrested, dragged into police vehicles, and taken away for questioning.

Security was stepped up in cities and towns across Pakistan for the President's visit.

0031 The authorities even went so far as to use Airforce One as a decoy plane when Bill Clinton flew into the capital Islamabad.

While all eyes were on the presidential plane - the President himself was climbing out of the unmarked jet he'd actually travelled in.

0045 Seven hundred miles away in Karachi, a bomb exploded, killing two people and injuring three more. No-one has admitted responsibility for the blast.

0053 UPSOT: (Urdu)
SUPERCAPTION: Muhammad Rafiq, Eyewitness

0055 Thanking God he was alive, this man told how he'd been passing by when all of a sudden he heard a big bang and was thrown to the ground. He escaped with only minor injuries.

0107 It is unclear whether the incident was linked to President Clinton's visit.

Karachi has been wracked by bitter religious and ethnic violence in recent years.

0116 Earlier on Saturday, gunmen killed two policemen in a drive-by shooting in the heart of the city,

The officers had been at the forefront of a crackdown several years ago against a minority ethnic party.

The motive for the shooting remained unclear.
ENDS AT 0133

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